Riviere de Galets Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s brewing for Riviere de Galets.

The word from the start is a bit rough. We’ve got a fairly consistent reef and point setup that’s definitely picking up swell, but the wind just won’t play nice for the first stretch. The water’s sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, 76°, which is a nice change if you’re in the water.

Saturday afternoon kicks it off, but it’s cross-on with a moderate breeze. There’s a decent amount of energy in the water (1393), but the conditions are choppy and the surf’s only getting a “marginal” nod. Not the best way to start. Sunday morning and afternoon are similar – plenty of groundswell energy (over 2200), and a long-period 18s and 16s swell from the SSW, which is a good direction for this break. It’s clean-looking water, but that cross-shore wind keeps things from being glassy. It’s a “fairly consistent” spot, so you might find a sneaky one, but it’s not going to be perfect.

Then things go south. Monday through the rest of the week into the weekend of the 14th and 15th, it’s straight-up poor. The wind builds, gets strong, and starts to really mess things up. By Wednesday the 16th, the swell is pumping – 8ft on Wednesday morning with energy over 5000 – but that strong cross-shore wind makes it lumpy and messy. By Wednesday afternoon, the swell hits 10ft (4064 energy), but the wind is cross-onshore and it’s just not good for paddling. It’s big and angry. For you groms, stay out of it. For the experienced crew, it’s still a battle against a fresh breeze.

The standouts? Honestly, you have to wait. The best of a so-so bunch is probably Sunday morning, 13 September. That 6ft SSW swell at 18 seconds has some serious push (2257 energy). It’s not glassy, but it’s light cross-on and the water looks clear. It’s the cleanest the wave will get in the first week. But don’t call it a standout wave – it’s just the least dirty.

After that, there’s a long gap of poor to marginal conditions all the way until later in the second week. The wind stays moderate to fresh and cross-shore, with a lot of shorter-period E/ESE chop. The swell energy drops into the low three-figure/high two-figure range by the 24th and 25th, so the juice just isn’t there.

Now, the real interesting bit is the last day in the forecast: Sunday the 27th. Morning has 8ft SSW groundswell at 19 seconds – that’s proper grunt, with energy over 4400. But again, the wind is fresh cross-shore. The afternoon, though… that’s a big one. 12ft SSW at 17 seconds, energy a massive 6998. The file says the wind and tide look favorable but the swell is too big for this break. It’s a reef and point, so long-period groundswell like this can run nicely along the point, but at 12ft, it’ll be a freight train. For experts only, and even then, you need to know the place.

So, bottom line: no day is a true stand-out clean session. If you’re dying for a wave in the first week, hit the Sunday the 13th. If you’re a masochist and want big stuff, the afternoon of the 27th might be wild, but it’s a long way out and the wind is still a question mark. That’s the pick for now.

– Rusty

Read more